Charleston is becoming a protest art town. And Charleston is helping to drive the art of protest. Whether by paint-to-poster board, words-to-music or cosplay packing a political punch, local protest art can galvanize masses, make headlines and move needles. Charleston native Shepard Fairey’s Obey guerilla art movement spotlighting wrestler and actor Andre the Giant dominates building facades and plasters utility poles the world over. “His art felt like proof that you could hijack mass culture and shove art straight into the public without asking permission,” said Winkelmann.